Thatch (Closed)

BarFly's Review of Thatch (Closed)

If you’re still mourning the demise of Trader Vic’s a decade ago and Jasmine Tree last year, cheer up and dig your loud Hawaiian shirt out of mothballs. Thatch is a small, but spirited hole-in-the-wall dedicated to all things tiki: There’s a charming little grotto guarded by an imposing idol (with a boner), blowfish light fixtures and enough bamboo and assorted Polynesian knickknacks to keep your eyes dancing delightedly about the room.

The robust rum drinks—both the Mai Tai and the Fog Cutter have plenty of tropical gusto—are deftly prepared in a variety of intriguing glasses and the ambient music is played at a modest level that correctly swings between surf and jungle exotica. Food’s still a bit sketchy, but the fun factor wins out in the end.

Getting to Thatch (Closed)

Nearby Bars

Reader Reviews

Thatch (Closed) has
5
out of 5
based on 1 ratings and
12 user reviews.

Smooooth and fresh

Great drinks and friendly folk. The music is what every tiki bar should have and few do. The drinks had flavour and kick in the right proportions. You have to try Sal's Dominion, our bartender's eponymous creation. I am also thankful for the opportunity to use the word eponymous.

Reviewed Anonymously by Fred on November 5, 2011, 11:22 am

tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki

wish I lived in the neighborhood. I'd be here all the time. Gotta say mojito is my favorite. Tried a mixture the bartender with the Tiki tattoo concocted, and it was savory. She's fun and knows her tiki mixes.

Place has a lot of charm and feels inviting when I stop in.

Like the shrimp and crab puffs. The beef skewers are way to spicy for authentic tiki dish.

Reviewed Anonymously by doomsday sam on December 3, 2009, 7:56 pm

Thatch

I am a Tiki "almost expert." I have visited Trader Vic's in London, Palo Alto, Emeryville
and in Bellevue (Seattle). I loved the Jasmine Tree and am sorry it is gone
Tropical Drinks are my thing and I have tried several at Thatch including the
Mai Tai, ChiChi, Singapore Sling and SlowGin Fizz. My husband liked the Zombie.
We went there on our 39th Wedding Anniversary. We are oldish but really enjoyed
the young people and the staff at the bar. The atmosphere was phenomenal
considering the space. Drinks at Happy Hour are extremely well-priced and
The Canape Food Plates are well worth the money. Thanks to everyone at the
bar for introducing Tiki Culture for the young and even the oldsters like me
who missed it the first time around. Isabel

Reviewed Anonymously by karen jones on March 13, 2008, 12:37 pm

Whatevs

I think this place is stupid and absurd. Plus, when I was there this Cost Plus World Market dump smelled like insect repellent. But who am I to judge? Oh that's right, a lady who likes the finer things in life. Cheap, strong drinks coinciding with a stale, smoky atmosphere.

Thatch is another relatively new and quite small bar that suffers from the poor service which usually plagues places of this size. We went in on New Years Eve at 12:15 AM and the staff looked at us like we were crazy. The crazy one was the drunk guy without his shirt on! Shortly thereafter last call ensued, which to me was utterly ridiculous for this hour!!! It was New Years freaking Eve people! Shame on you Ernie.

Personalities aside (and bartender Zorn surely is lacking in one) this is the coolest tiki bar in Portland. Okay, that's not saying much when the competition is The Alibi, but owner Rob deserves a pile of credit for what he has done here. As someone else already mentioned, they have crafted a hut, complete with roof and everything, inside this place. It's like being on Gilligan's Island! The detailing is unreal, from the puffer fish lights, awesome felt paintings, bamboo pitchers, gadgets and what not. This is an acid tripper's wet dream. At every turn you will discover something you hadn't seen before. It's truly amazing. They have a canoe stuffed in here even.

The food is just okay. I get the same barbeque pork at my local QFC. The chicken on the chicken skewer is a little too cubed shaped for my taste, implying processing. They do have this wonderful dressing for the salad, however. At the end of the day, it's obvious this place is about drinking and since we are in Oregon, they do have to have food available to go along with the booze, but it's obviously not the focal point.

Drinks are kinda spendy in my opinion. As much as I like it, I just can't spend too many nights in Thatch because I can't afford it. Rob, are you listening??? Their mojito is freaking yummy, but at $8.50 a pop I kinda feel like I am gettting ^%$ without a reach around. Take your date there to have a drink because everyone needs to see this amazing bar at least once in their life, but don't plan on eating and drinking the night away because quite frankly the entire experience just doesn't justify the c note it's going to run you.

Reviewed Anonymously by Not Not Not Michael on January 27, 2008, 12:05 pm

Happy HOUR?

I haven't been to Thatch (yet), but I called to find out what time they have Happy Hour, and their machine says "5PM until 5:30PM everyday".
Are they aware that this would only count as a... 'Happy HALF Hour'??

Kinda lame.

Reviewed Anonymously by Lesa on January 9, 2008, 4:38 pm

open sundays!

I think it is the happiest place on earth! The drinks are great!And the food is fresh and yummy. The staff and owners are swell, and the decor is super tiki riffic!
And, now Thatch is open 7 days a week.
yay

Reviewed Anonymously by tikilove on May 22, 2007, 3:55 am

Great Drinks

Thatch exceeded expectations, and I've been to many a tiki bar around the country. The bartenders actually know how to mix a proper tiki drink, though it appears many of Thatch's recipes come from Trader Vic's menu (made me sad for the olden days of PDX Vics). It reminded me a bit of Tiki Ti in L.A., probably due to the intimate size. Decor is well executed, bartenders friendly, happily smoke free, and drinks strong but well balanced. And in response to "Just Joe" who clearly doesn't "get" the whole tiki experience, EVERY tiki bar needs a water feature. duh.

Reviewed Anonymously by Tiki Snob on May 17, 2007, 4:07 pm

All Tiki Alll the Tiki Time

Water feature? Please. Any real drinker knows that an authentic Tiki bar has to have a grotto. Grotto… you know, like at Hef’s place. I hear his is really lovely. At any rate, I’ll reign myself in before I get all flamaliscious on Mr. No Name. Look, this place is incredible. I’d come here on any rainy day just to kick the ass of my Seasonal Defective Disorder or whateveryoucallit. I mean, they built a freakin' indoor Tiki hut… in full… roof and all. Plus, it’s nice to see some of my old friends from the Jasmine tree. Oh, little Tiki fellas, I missed you. You too, pontoon boat! I don’t wanna forget about ol’ toony… Many was the drunken evening when I watched you from the bar, eyes at half mast, dreaming that you’d carry me away to a magical place on a sea of unspoiled buttery rum. Christ, sorry about that… Thatch, yes! Oh, and I met Mr. Kyle Ritter there. He asked if I’d like to suck on his tit. You can’t get a much better endorsement than that.

Reviewed Anonymously by Tiki Snob on May 11, 2007, 5:58 pm

I have to say

Thatch was maybe the lamest bar I've been to in a long time. I felt that the decor was eerily similar to my grandparent's 50th anniversary party: lawn furniture, paper lanterns, faux wood surfaces everywhere. Remember those Oldsmobile commercials starring the Judds? Well, Thatch IS your mama's tiki bar. Seriously, what bar needs a water feature? Also, the place was dead when I was there (granted, a weeknight, but still, I was one of two tables). This place just has no soul. I think someone at IKEA vacationed in the South Pacific, came back to work, realized how empty their life was, and decided to open a bar here in P-town. Overall, very much not impressed, and I shan't be returning. I like my tiki like I like my men: authentic, a little dirty, and could maybe give you a splinter if you're not careful.

Reviewed Anonymously by Just Joe on May 3, 2007, 4:05 pm

Tiki-licious!

I've been to this joint twice and have been very pleased both times. The Chi-Chi is their "Signature" drink and it's a bit sweet (aren't most polynesian drinks?), but really yummy. The Singapore Sling I had was a little heavy on the alcohol, but I think it's supposed to be that way. The atmosphere can't be beat. Low-lighting, velvet paintings on the walls, tons of bamboo and tiki god statues. It's creative and makes an excellent backdrop to the tasty pu-pu platters and umbrella-accented cocktails. I think the only thing missing was island music or even some Rat Pack tunes playing. Great concept, stellar execution!

Thatch was far better than I expected it to be--not a DIY, cobbled-together half-assed bar like so many are these days (they have their place, but enough's enough). The tiki decor is, somehow, not kitschy, and overall the bar reminds me of how well the C Bar and Tube were put together before they started knocking out walls and junking up the tiny spaces. The service at Thatch was friendly and fast, and though we just had BBQ pork and a salad, which one can't judge the whole menu on, it was good. The music was eclectic downtempo--from acid-jazz to rap to euro-lounge--while I was there, no Martin Denny or Ventures within earshot.

Reviewed Anonymously by Aitch on March 12, 2007, 3:01 pm

Tell Us What You Think of Thatch (Closed)

Your Name:

Subject

Overall Rating of Thatch (Closed)

Lurrrrve it!It's fine.Meh.On the sucky side.Haaaate it!

What You Think:

Yes, these CAPTCHAs suck, but they are a necessary evil. Typing the words you see below proves you are a human.

Before hitting that submit button, please read the following guidelines:

Owners/Managers/Employees: Please do not make up a name to shill for yourself or bad mouth competitors because we WILL catch you. We have been known to "out" repeat offenders. It's fine to plug your own biz, or to reply to other reader's comments, just identify yourself as the owner/manager/employee you are. Trust us, it works to do it that way. It's great PR, our readers love it, we love it, and your business will love it.

Libel ain't cool, man. Naming names in an undeservedly negative or totally false review? That's libel. However, if you truly had a bad experience, please share it. If it's true, it ain't libel!

Were you 86ed for being a complete douchebag? Are you the perpetually unsatisfied bitch? The bartender's psycho ex? Are you copying & pasting the same review from/to Yelp, Facebook, etc.? Then you're undermining the value of our reader reviews. Don't waste your time posting.

The First Amendment covers your right to say whatever you want, and our right to choose whether or not to publish it. All reader reviews must be approved by BarFly staff, prior to being made live on the site.

By clicking submit, you authorize us to release details about your review(s), including your IP address, email, name, and any other contact info, if we are required to by "the authorities." Again, take your libel elsewhere.

Now, if you think your review will pass muster, click the submit button.

If you love BarFly, please support our advertisers.Have a drink and tell them, "I saw you on BarFly!" And tip, big.